Expression mechanism for pneumatically-actuated musical instruments.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

B. S. VOTEY. EXPRESSION MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIGALLY AGTUATED MUSICAL.

INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1904.

E .N sgfwwwltoz DW' OTEY no MODEL.

PATENTED AUG. 16., 150 E. s. VOTEY. EXPRESSION MECHANISM FORPNEUMATIOALLY AGTUATED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB; 27,1904.

EDWI fl mam UNITED STATES Patented August 16, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

EDIVIN S. VOTEY, OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO' AEOLIAN COM- PANY,OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

EXPRESSION MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATICALLY-ACTUAIED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,781, dated August16, 1904,

Appli ati filed February 27,1904. Serial No. 195,519. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, EDWIN S. Vo'rEY, a citizen of. the United States,and a resident of Summit, New Jersey, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Expression Mechanism for Pneumatically-Actuated MusicalInstruments, of which the following is a specification, accompanied bydrawings.

This invention relates to improvements in expression mechanism forpneumatically-actuated musical instruments; and the objects of theinvention are to obtain greater expression with the simplest possiblemeans and to enable different pressures or tensions to be readilyapplied to diiierent portions of the pneumatic action.

Further objects of the invention willherein:

after appear; and to these ends the invention consists of expressionmechanism for carrying out the above objects embodying the features ofconstruction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts havingthe general mode of operation substantially as hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed in this specification and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a transverse verticalsectional view of a pneumatic action on the line w of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal vertical sectional view of Fig. 1 on the line y y. Figs.1 and 2 illustrate a pneumatic action for a pneumatically-operatedmusical instrument with this invention applied thereto.

The drawings show a suitable pneumatic action in which the verticalwindway A communicates directly from the expression valvechamber B tothe passages in each of the valvecornpartments of the action. For thispurpose suitable communication is provided, as shown, from the windway Ato the chambers C. The chambers C of the valve-chests extend from end toend of the instrument, but are divided by the partitions p and containall the secondary pneumatics in such chests. The chambers I) also extendfrom end to end of the instrument and contain all the primary pneumaticsin the valve-chests.

The tracker-board passages E lead directly down to the rear boards F,which are prothe tracker connection E and the windways G and K opens thepassage I to atmosphere and shuts off its connection with thewindchamber D. A secondary-pneumatic valve L may also be of well-knownconstruction and operated by the pneumatic O, so that when 5 atmosphericpressure is admitted to the passage-way I the pneumatic O will rise,lifting the valve, thereby closing the upper valveboard, which leads tothe atmosphere, and opening communication between the chamber 7 P andthe suction-chamber C. The chamber P is in direct communication, as seenby the dotted lines, with the striking-pneumatic Q. Thestriking-pneumatic motors Q are connected with the striking-levers byrods R, the weight of which is suflicient to restore the levers to theirraised position without the intervention of a spring.

In the expression-valve chamber is arranged the slidable plunger S,operated, as shown, by means of the rod T, and said valve-chamberextending longitudinally of the instrument communicates with all thewindways A, as shown in Fig. 2. Each wind way A, as shown, communicateswith a plurality of chambers C, 5 one in each tier of valve-chests. Thepartitions p, which serve to subdivide the chambers C, at the same timelimit the number of pneumatics with which each windway A communicates.

The action may operate with either suction or compression; but in thisinstance it will be assumed that suction is used, and low or high windmay be applied at one end of the valvechamber B, as at the end marked 1,while, vice 95 versa, high or low wind may be applied at the other end 2of the valve-chamber-that is to say, if low wind is appliedat one endhigh wind should be applied at the other. With this arrangement it willbe seen that by moving the plunger S along the valve-chamber differentportions of the pnuematic action may be provided with wind at differenttensions, and thus the expression may be controlled. It is also obviousthat the entire pneumatic action may be supplied with wind at a giventension by moving the plunger S to such position that all of thewindways A are open to one tension.

Obviously some features of this invention may be used without others,and the invention may be embodied in widely varying forms.

Therefore, without limiting the invention to the constructions shown anddescribed nor enumerating equivalents, I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, the following:

1. In apneumatic action for musical instruments, a musical scale orseries of sound-producing devices, operating-pneumatics each connectedwith one of the devices of such series, means providing a chamber havingports connected with said pneumatics, means for admitting wind underdifferent pressures at each end of said chamber, and asolid plungermovable longitudinally of said chamber for preventing the flow of windadmitted at one end of said chamber toward its other end.

2. In a pneumatic action for musical instruments, a musical scale orseries of sound-producing devices, operating-pneumatics each connectedwith one of the devices of such series, means providing a chamber havingports connected with said pneumatics, means for admitting wind underdifferent pressures at each end of said chamber, and a suitably-actuatedsolid plunger forming a partition movable longitudinally of said chamberand operative to determine the number of devices of such series at eachend thereof, to which wind entering at a given end of said chamber shallbe supplied.

3. In a pneumatic action for musical instruments, a musical scale orseries of sound-producing devices, operating-pneumatics each connectedwith one of the devices of such series, means providing a chamber havingports connected with said pneumatics, means'for admitting air underdifferent pressures at each end of said chamber, asolid plunger movablelongitudinally of said chamber for preventing the flow of wind admittedat one end of said chamber toward its other end, a plunger-rod extendingout of anend of said chamber, and a manual lever operatively connectedthereto.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

EDI/VIN S. VOTEY. WVitnesses F. H. HUGHES, W. C. MANsFIELD.

